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Emily Lewis won a full scholarship to Parsons, but it was a very different route than usual for her to get there. Emily was a high school drop out. She was addicted to drugs. Luckily, she met a mentor at a homeless shelter and was able to take control of her life again.

Her mentor, an employee at the homeless shelter was almost not permitted to start the art therapy program that pulled Emily back on her feet. The director only believed they were there to put a roof over people’s head, not to give them every amenity.

Luckily, with a lot of hard work and self trust, this program was created, and Emily joined in the fall of 2008. She soon was hired as the intern of the therapy program. She had never painted before that, but the directors of the program saw a special magic in her.

The director of the homeless shelter has changed her tune on art therapy. She now understands that you have to feed the should and the bodies of people for them to succeed. It is easy to overlook programs like this, but once you see their success in action they are impossible to ignore.

Emily was encouraged to apply for art school by an art collector from Princeton. This art collector saw Emily’s work at an art show and purchased six pieces, some of which are worth thousands of dollars. This collector encouraged her to do something she never even thought about- apply for art school. The collector helped her create a portfolio, get her GED and take the SAT. She was accepted on her first try on a full ride scholarship.

All it took was a community believing in her and the power of art to get Emily a new future. What could happen with a program like this in your neighborhood?

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!

 

Finding his way from living in a truck to an art therapy group at his church, Dennis Jones found a way to turn his life around.

He now paints at his nearby Philadelphia Starbucks and you can see his work at the Gorshman YMCA.

These art based programs that focus on creativity, like the one that got Jones back on his feet, often are a large role in empowering those who don’t have anywhere to go.

Another man that benefited from a similar program was Keith Freeman. By his 30th birthday, he had already been to jail for both stealing and selling drugs.

He later joined the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, a program that is five months long and allows former prisoners and veterans to study improv, art, meditation and philosophy. Freeman now goes by the motto “Backwards is not an option.

Another similar story happened to Miky Solano in New York. He signed up with Art Start after being released from jail at 21.  He was determined to push forward, and this group that helps homeless youth through creativity was the thing that got him to it. Now, he’s recorded a few songs and he’s pushing on to a better life. He believes music is a way to express himself, and art has given him a whole new perspective.

At Art From The Streets, we’re all about creating an organization where people can grow and stories like this can happen in our home of Austin, Texas. Volunteer or donate to homeless artists today.

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!

 

Utah's fight against chronic homelessness initially began back in 2003, yet actually had surged ever since the early 1970s. Costs regarding this were also soaring as well. A study from the University of Pennsylvania had also showed that New York City was spending approximately $40,500 annually on each homeless person who was dealing with mental issues. From there, a solution was developed: provide homes to those who need them the most.

It was shown that this solution not only would greatly reduce the number of chronic homeless on the streets, but it would also drastically cut spending as well. Many who heard this solution described how much it made sense to them, and were asked if they would be willing to go to Utah to work with those involved to help make it a reality.

More than ten years later, chronic homelessness may soon come to an end in the state of Utah, which is considered to be perhaps one of the most conservative states in the entire nation. Back in 2005, the state recorded nearly 1,932 homeless people, and by the time 2014 came around, that number dropped to 539 – a whole 72%. Gordon Walker, Utah's Director of Housing and Community Development Division, states that Utah is approaching a “functional zero” because of this plan that has been implemented. He also announced that more exciting news would be announced soon that would generate an even larger headline, but refused to elaborate any further on what that may involve.

The initial thought of giving homes to homeless people was quite absurd due to the fact that a lot of them victims of serious trauma and issues involving addiction and mental health. Thousands more have spend countless nights on the streets and aren't familiar with living in an actual home anymore. However, the general consensus in Utah was that if you want to end homelessness, then you have to put a homeless person in a home.  

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!

 

The Art from the Streets organization was thrilled to be invited to participate in an event that was hosted by the Office of Innovation on Monday morning. The city of Austin was recently given a grant in order to help tackle the problem of homelessness. With that grant in mind, the purpose of this event was for the Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST) to survey the homeless and see how effective the programs in place are and what they can do to improve them. The goal of HOST is to be able to help the homeless population get back on their feet and avoid a situation that is detrimental to their health or where the law has to be involved.

Our part in this event was to create a pop up interactive art piece where the homeless were able to take a break from the surveying and paint using pastels. The amount of people who joined in was amazing and at one point we even had some of the workers jump in and paint! This interactive piece was a fun and soothing experience for all of those who joined in and even to those who just stood and stared as the artists painted.

It was very satisfying to watch the canvas go from black and white to a sea of colors. This event was a wonderful way to not only get the word out about our program but to also help those who attended to explore their creative side.

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!

 

There are currently plans to consider the addition of a homeless shelter in an additional neighborhood in the city of Austin. This past Thursday, members of City Council ordered that a city-owned building be found as soon as possible, which would then be converted into a temporary homeless shelter. This process is part of a continuing effort to reduce the overall size of downtown Austin's homeless population.

It's also because ARCH, or the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, is currently overflowing in terms of the building's population. In fact, the sidewalks that surround the building are about as busy as one might think they would be.

Kathie Tovo, Austin's Mayor Pro Tem, says that this is a problem on so many levels and that a solution needs to be found. Tovo also says that the homeless in downtown Austin deserve a shelter and also deserve to be removed from an environment that is rather conducive to crime, further stating that there is a risk of drug dealers potentially preying on the homeless population. Tovo feels that repurposing a city-owned building into a temporary homeless shelter for a period of approximately six months may be a good fix for the time being.

Staff was given two weeks by City Council to come up with a list of buildings that would fit the proper criteria, which means that the building must not only be safe, but also located near transit as well.

This resolution is different from one that was previously passed last October, in which City Council tasked staff with locating properties that would be able to serve as permanent housing and shelter for members of Austin's homeless community. This is a search that continues to be ongoing.

As Austin continues to grow and change, we will continue to be there for the homeless community through art.

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!